Lucic says 'close to 10 teams' wanted to sign him in free agency

The 28-year-old joined TSN 1040 on Wednesday, claiming that when it came down to it, almost 10 teams were bidding for his services.

“There were close to 10 teams that reached out and were really serious about me joining their team,” said Lucic. “It was humbling that that many teams reached out and wanted me on their team. I’m not going to lie … it was a pretty cool feeling to have that many teams wanting you on their team.

“But also, it made things a lot (more) difficult. Especially talking to a lot of GMs and seeing what they had to offer and what they were proposing.”

Ultimately, Lucic decided to sign a seven-year, $42-million deal with the Oilers, citing the opportunity to play with Connor McDavid, the chance to win, and his loyalty to Peter Chiarelli – who was acting general manager of the Boston Bruins when Lucic was a member of the team.

“I just kind of went with my heart and what was right for me and my career to be the best that I could be moving forward, and give myself an opportunity to win,” said Lucic. “That’s why I went with my heart and my loyalty to Peter and chose the Edmonton Oilers.”